Dave Young, Colorado state treasurer, announces run for Congress
Colorado Treasurer Dave Young speaks at the opening of Colorado Democrats' Aurora field office on June 28, 2022. (Faith Miller/Colorado Newsline)
Colorado State Treasurer Dave Young on Wednesday became the fourth prominent Democrat to throw his hat in the ring for Colorado's highly competitive 8th Congressional District.
'The residents of Colorado's 8th District are worried about their economic future — and rightfully so,' Young said in a statement announcing his candidacy. 'I'm running for Congress to stand up for working families, protect the programs they count on, and ensure our economy works for everyone, not just the wealthy few. I am running to stand up for Colorado's working families and deliver results that matter in a time of uncertainty.'
Young, a former state representative from Greeley, has served as Colorado treasurer since 2019. One of four statewide executive offices elected by voters, the treasurer oversees the management, investment and disbursement of state funds, along with a handful of savings and loan programs and the state's Division of Unclaimed Property.
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The 8th District is Colorado's newest, most competitive and most diverse congressional seat. Drawn by an independent redistricting commission in 2021, it includes parts of Denver's northern suburbs as well as more rural areas in southern Weld County. Four in 10 residents of the district are Latino.
The seat is currently held by U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans, a Fort Lupton Republican who unseated former Democratic Rep. Yadira Caraveo by a margin of fewer than 2,500 votes in the 2024 election. Despite representing one of the nation's most evenly divided congressional districts, Evans has remained a steadfast supporter of President Donald Trump's historically extreme anti-immigration agenda, his chaotic efforts to launch a global trade war and a sweeping GOP budget bill that would cut $625 billion from Medicaid.
Caraveo has launched a bid to win back her seat in 2026, joining a Democratic primary that also includes state Reps. Manny Rutinel of Commerce City and Shannon Bird of Westminster.
Young's campaign announcement noted that he is the only Democratic primary candidate to hail from the district's more conservative half in Weld County, calling him the Democrat 'best positioned to win this seat back.' And it blasted Evans' support for a package of deep cuts to Medicaid, which provides coverage to more than 1 in 4 of the 8th District's residents.
'This is personal to me. My sister has severe developmental disabilities, and has been reliant on life sustaining support provided by Medicaid for much of her life,' Young said. 'Congressman Gabe Evans and his GOP allies just voted to slash Medicaid benefits, which will impact tens of thousands of people in this district, as well as millions of others including people like my sister.'
'Colorado's 8th Congressional District deserves a representative who shows up, listens, and delivers,' he added. 'I've spent my life making government work better for people, and I'm ready to bring that same energy and experience to Washington.'
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